FEDEX STILL HAS THE FUEL FOR MORE SLAMS
EAST BOURNE: Marco Cecchinato of Italy is the only seeded male player left in the Eastbourne International after Kyle Edmund and Denis Shapovalov were both eliminated in the quarter-finals.
Second-seeded Edmund lost 5-7, 6-3, 6-1 to Mikhail Kukushkin of Kazakhstan.
Edmund fought back from a break down to take the opening set but was broken by the world No. 90 in the third game of the second set and again in the ninth, following a double fault.
Kukushkin clearly had the momentum and won the first three games of the decider. Edmund’s frustration was clear and the British No. 1 had a prolonged argument with umpire Arnaud Gabas over a line call.
Kukushkin will face Mischa Zverev in the semi-finals after the German’s surprise 6-3, 6-3 victory over third-seeded Shapovalov of Canada.
Cecchinato, who is seeded fourth, will face Lukas Lacko in the other semi-final after beating John Millman of Australia 5-7, 6-3, 6-2.
Lacko, who knocked out top-seeded Diego Schwartzman in the second round on Wednesday, comfortably dispatched British No. 2 Cameron Norrie 6-3, 6-4.
There were also surprises in the women’s draw as defending champion Karolina Pliskova was upset by Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus.
The second-seeded Czech player, who has reached the final in the past two years, lost 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (7-5) in 2 hours, 12 minutes.
It was Sabalenka’s first win over a top-10 player.
Sabalenka, who is ranked 45th in the world, fought back from a 4-1 deficit in the deciding set and clinched the match when Pliskova sent a forehand wide.
Sabalenka will face 2008 champion Agnieszka Radwanska in the semi-finals after the Pole eased past fifth-seeded Jelena Ostapenko 6-2, 7-5.
Top-seeded Caroline Wozniacki survived a scare to beat Ashleigh Barty of Australia 6-4, 6-3.
Wozniacki will play fourth-seeded Angelique Kerber, who prevailed over Daria Kasatkina 6-1, 6-7 (3-7), 7-6 (7-3). — Reuters